Trench-digger.



M. G. BLICK. TRENGH DIGGER. APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 24, 1913'.

Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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M. G. BLICK.

TRENGH BIGGER. APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 24, 1913.

UNITED sTaTEs PATENT oEEIcE.

I IICHAEL' G. BLICK, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

'FRENCH-BIGGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

Application med March 24, 1913. sealara. 756,374.,

To all whom t may'concem:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL G. BLICK a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county ofCo'ok and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful. Improvements in Trench-Diggers, of

`which `the following is a full, clear, concise,

and exact description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification. U

v My invention relates to trench diggers and vcontemplates certain improved features which go to. ymake a simple, economical,

durable and efiicient machine.

Like some other trench diggers heretofore provided, the device of my invention comprises a vehicle structure which carries a seriesofdigging shovels mounted upon an endless chain, said buckets emptying into a suitable conveyer employed to carry the material discharged from the shovels to any desiredpoint. The vehicle may if desired 'carry a power plant for manipulating the digging devices and also adaptable for traction purposes.A The present invention, however, is not particularly concerned with any particular form of vehicle so the said vehicle and some of the parts carried thereby are here shownmore or less diagrammatically.

The present invention is particularly con- .cerned withthe provision of a digger frame pivotally supported by the vehicle structure, which digger frame is provided with suit-y able sprocket wheels designed to engage the Vchain carrying the digging shovels. This digger frame, which must of necessity be of great strength, should preferably be eX- pansible in order to meet varying conditions.

rlhe diggerframe of my Invention comprises a hollow member, one end of which ispivotally connected to the vehicle structure. Projecting from the other end of said hollow member- 'is' a beam carrying a sprocket wheel or sprocketwheels adapted to' l `engage the `chain carrying l:the digging shov- -els.``" l`his beamfisfadjusted vrelatively to the hollow member byrotating fa t shaft disposed within. the liollowffIneiiiber',` which shaft is i l "eadengaging afe-l ,Qthe beam is pro- "adedshaftis pref-` ofa worm' and gear ecure themechanibeca1ise of the `,`The-. hollow'.

-by the arrows. Fig. 3` is a detail-view illus-,-

trating the digger frame and parts associated therewith, the digger frame being shown partly in section and partly in elevation; and Fig. 4 is a plan view of the digger frame and the sprocket wheels carried thereby.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, the trench digger of my invention may `if desired comprise traction wheels 5 and a vehicle frame 6.v

Mounted upon the frame 6` is an upright 7 of any suitable material and conformation.

guide the beam and overcome Pivoted to the upright 7 is an arm 8 comprising side members and connecting brace rods as illustrated. Pivoted to the vehicle frame at 9 are parallel racks 10 which are engaged by sprockets 11 mounted upon a shaft 12 bearing in the side members of the arm 8. Mounted upon the shaft 12 is a drum 13 around which are wound cables 14 which pass over a roller l5' carried bythe top of the upright 7 and thence around a drum 16 carried bythe frame 6. The drum 16 may derive its power from any suitable power plant not here shown. Mounted upon thev shaft 12 are L-shaped plates17 each one` of which engages the associated rack 10 and retains its corresponding sprocketY 11 in engagement therewith. These plates 17 besides retaining the sprockets 11 in engage- `ment with their racks serve to a more or less extent to retain the shaft 12 and the arm 8 inwhich it bears at any position to which they may be moved by-rotating 'the power drum`16. Pivoted to the upright 7 `and disposedl above the arm 8 is, another-arm 18 compris-7 y `ing'side members corresponding'tothe side.

members ofthe arm 8;" Each 'ofthe arms 8 and 18 yis p ivotally connectedfto',a ztially; rectilinear framework f, ,y

for the sprockets are arranged in pairs inorder lto engage the parallel links constitut- .ing the chain, may derive its power from any suitable driving members not here shown. The framework 19 supports bearings for a drum 23 over which passes a conveyer belt 24. The conveyer belt may be driven` by means of power applied to the gear v25.

Pivotally `carried by the frame 19 is a sub-frame 26, to the lower end of which is pivoted the digger frame most clearly illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. This digger frame comprises a hollow member 27 pivoted to the frame 26 at 27l and a beam 28 projecting from the hollow member 27, the hollow member 27 and the beam 28 being provided with pairs of sprocket wheels 29 and 30 as shown. The sprocket wheels 29 and 30 are designed to engage the links of the chain 21 carrying the shovels 22.

Disposed within the hollow member 27 and bearing in lbridge members 31 carried by the hollow member 27 is a shaft 32. It should be noted that this shaft is rotatable but is held against longitudinal movementrelatively to the hollow member 27. Rigidly mounted upon the shaft 32 is a gear V33 engaged by a worm 34 operated by means'V of a suitable crank 35 as illustrated. The shaft 32 is provided withv a male thread 35 engaging a female thread 36 with which the beam 28 projecting from the free end of the hollow member 27 is provided. It will thus be seen that the beam 28 may be readily adjusted relatively to the hollow member 27 by operating the crank 35. More than one of the cranks 35 and associated worms may be provided if desirable. The hollow member 27 is provided with a plurality of rollers 37 which serve to guide the beam 28 and overcome friction to a great extent.

While the trench digger of my invention is in use the arts are disposed as shown in Fig. 1, the digger frame being adjusted byl means of the crank 35 and associated parts.

The operation of the device is so'apparent that its operation need not be discussed at length.'

When the trench digger is to be moved the dlgger frame may be swung to a horizontal posltion as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The means here illustrated for raising the digger frame to its horizontal position comprises a drum 38 and a cable 39 which passes over suitable pulleys or rollers as slown and is provided with a hook 39a adapted to engae the chain carrying the shovels.

. s stated before, the precise construction of the vehicle structure is not important as the digger frame of my invention may be yused with a great variety of vehicle structures, it only being important that the vehicle structure be provided with suitable dev vices for guiding and driving the members carrying the digging shovels and being capable of pivotally supporting the digger frame.

What I- claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: i

1. In a trench digger, the combination of a vehicle frame, a sub-frame carried -by the` 2. In a trench digger, the combination of a vehicle frame, a sub-frame carried bythe vehicle frame and devices supported by the vehicle frame for raising and lowering said sub-frame .as desired, a digger frame pivote d to the lower end of said sub-frame, said digger frame comprising a hollow member, a second member collapsible within the hollow member, a device for adjusting the second member relatively to the rst, 'sprocket wheels carried by the second member, a chain passing over said sprocket wheels, said chain eing provided withv digger, buckets and other sprocket wheels supported' by the vehicle structure and over which said chain passes, said sub-frame comprising al portion arranged to project down overA the upper end of the'hollow member ofthe digger frame and so prevent the digger frame from movement under the stress exerted thereon through the chain.

3. In a trench digger, the combination of a vehicle frame, al sub-frame carried by the vehicle frame, devices su ported by the vehicle frame for raisin sub-frame as desired, a i ger frame pivoted to said sub-frame, said i ger frame'comprising a hollow-upper mem er and a lower vmember collapsible within the upper member, means for adjusting the lower member within the hollow member, sprockets carried by the lower member of the digger frame, sprockets supported by the vehicle frame movable with said sub-frame, a chain carried by said sprockets and buckets on said chain. l 4. In a trench digger, the a vehicle frame, a sub-frame carried by the vehicle frame, devicesfsupported by the vean 4lowering the combination of j hicle'frame for raising and lowering the sub-frame as desired', a dig er frame .pivoted to said sub-frame, sai digger frame comprising a' hollow upper member y and a lower member collapsible within the upper member, means for 'adjusting the lower member within the hollow member,I

sprockets carried by the 'lower member of the digger frame, sprockets 'supported by the vehicle frame movable with said subframe, a chain carried by said sprockets and buckets on said chain, said sub-frame comprising a portion arranged to inclose three sides of the top of the digger frame and so prevent the digger frame from moving underthe stress exerted thereon through the chain. o

5. A trench digger comprising in combination a vehicle frame,- a sub-frame sup-l ported by thevehicle frame, devices car.

l'frame,

sub-frame vertically as desired, an extensible digger frame pivotcd to said subl sprockets supported by the vehicle .frame vertically adjustable with the subframe, tsprockets carried lby the digger frame and a digger chain mounted upon said sprockets, said sub-frame comprising a portion arranged to prevent movement of the digger frame upon its pivot under the stress exerted upon said digger frame through the digger chain.

In witness whereo I hereunto subscribe vmy name this 19th day of March, A. D.,

1913. v i MICHAEL G. BLICK.

Witnessesf A. G. MoCoBB,

ALBERT C. BELL. 

